Safety device for glass blowing machines



Dec. 31, 1940. J, P. BENOIIII" ETAL I 2,227,374

SAFETY DEVICE FOR GLASS BLOWING MACHINES Filed. April 28, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 1 45 z e 49 4 i I i I M I awmnker 4W0 Lfimwemwm INVENTOR$ ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 31 1940.

J. P. BENOIT ETAL SAFETY DEVICE FOR GLASS BLOWING MACHINES 3 Sheet-Sheet 2 Filed April 28, 1958 ZliR/zkieman INVENTORS A TTORNEYS.

iii 31, 1940- J. P. BENOIT zr/u. 2,227,374

SAFETY DEVICE FOR GLASS BLOWING MACHINES Filed April 28, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TORS BY ATTORN YS.

Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED STATESi PATENT SAFETY DEVICE FOR GLASS ELGVVING MACHINES Application April 28, 1938, Serial No. 204,826

10 Claims.

Our invention relates to machines for blowing glass articles in molds and particularly machines of the Owens suction type wherein glass gathering molds are carried on dip-heads mounted on a mold carriage for rotation therewith about a vertical axis. .The molds are thereby periodically brought over a pool or supply body of molten glass and the dip-heads lowered so that the molds are brought into position to lo gather the charges of glass by suction applied to the mold cavities. Ina machine of this type each gathering mold comprises partible sections which are held together while the mold is lowered into contact with the pool of glass for gather- 15 ing a charge and then lifted. The mold sections are separated after the mold has been lifted, to permit the parison formed therein to be transferred to a finishing mold.

It sometimes happens that an obstruction of so some kind will prevent normal closing of a blank mold before it is lowered into dip, with the resuit that the open mold as it travels with the mold carriage, does not clear the rim of the tank or container. This may result in serious dam- 25 age to the machine and/or tank. An object of the present invention is to prevent the possibility of the apparatus. being damaged in-this manner and to this end we provide safety mechanism which is operated automatically when the mold 130 is prevented from closing and locks the mold carrying dip-head in its lifted position, thereby preventing interference between the mold and the walls of the gathering pot or tank.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of one of the heads or units of a suction gathering machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section at the line 2--2 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of slide mechanism for opening andclosing the blank mold;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a bracket which 45 supports the locking bolt for preventing lowering of the dip-head, and mechanism. for actuating the locking bolt;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of mechanism shown in Fig. 4; i

50 Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showin a locking dog controlling the operation of the locking bolt; and,

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the locking bolt and a portion of the vertically slidable dip-head.

55 Referring particularly to Fig. 1, we have illustrated a portion of an Owens type of suction gathering machine, which comprises a mold carriage ill mounted for continuous horizontal rotation about a stationary center column H. Mounted on the carriage for rotation therewith are dip frames l2 arranged in an annular series, each said dip frame carrying a dip-head l3 adiustable up and down on the dip frame by means of an adjusting mechanism including a hand wheel M operatively connected with an adjusting E10 screw l5. Each dip-head carries a parison mold which includes a body blank mold It and a neck mold ll supported on a head plate it. The molds comprise partible sections mounted to swing about the axis of a vertical hinge pin is for .opening and closing the molds.

During the rotation of the mold carriage the molds are brought in succession over a pool or supply body of glass within a container 2! which may be in the form of either a stationary 20 or rotating gathering pot or tank or may comprise a forehearth or channel extending from a furnace tank from which the glass is supplied. As the mold is brought over the gathering pool 28, the dip-head is lowered, bringing the lower open end of the mold into sealing contact with the glass. Suction is then applied within the mold cavity for drawing the glass into the mold. The dip-head may be lowered by gravity under the control of a stationary cam 22 on which '30 runs a cam roll 23 on the dip-head. The dip head is preferably lifted by an air motor or the like (not shown).

Mechanism for opening and closing the blank mold comprises a stationary cam 24 on which runs a cam roll 25. A pair of slides, including an upper slide 26 and a lower slide 2?, are mounted for horizontal reciprocating movement within a frame 28 mounted on the carriage and extending radially thereof. The cam roll 25 is carried on the upper slide 2 The upper and lower slides 26 and 21 normally maintain a fixed relative position and move back and forth as a unit under the control of the cam 2t and transmit such motion to a rock arm 36 connected by a link 3i to the lower slide 21. The arm 30 is fixed to a vertical rock shaft 32 which has operating connections for opening and closing the blank mold.

The slide mechanism (Figs. 1 and 3) embodies a safety feature which permits the upper slide 26 to be reciprocated by its cam independently of the lower slide when any abnormal resistance is offered to the movement of the lower slide as, for example, an obstruction preventing closing movement of the blank mold. This safety mechanism includes a coil spring 33 mounted on a rod 34 and bearing at its inner end against the head of a tubular member 35 to which the inner end of the rod 34 is attached, said member 35 being mounted for movement lengthwise within the slide 21.

A latch 36 pivoted to the upper slide 26 normally engages behind a shoulder 31 formed on the tubular member 35 and thereby provides a driving connection between the slides and holds the upper slide 26 against forward movement relative to the lower slide 21. The spring 33 is of sufiicient strength to prevent forward or outward movement of the upper slide 26 independently of the lower slide during normal operation. If, however, an obstruction of any kind prevents the outward movement of the lower slide 21 for closing the mold, the upper slide 26 as it moves forward operates through the latch 36 to move the member 35 forward against the compression of the spring 33. This causes the free forward end of the latch 36 to ride up on an inclined surface 38 formed on the slide 21, thereby disconnecting the upper slide and permitting it to move idly under the influence of its cam 24.

It will be seen that the safety mechanism above described will protect the mold opening and closing mechanism against damage when for any reason the mold is prevented from normally closing, but this would permit the mold to remain open while being lowered to a charge gathering position. This introduces another hazard as such lowering of the open mold may cause interference between the mold and the walls of the container 2|. This might result in damage to both the machine and the container. To avoid this hazard, we provide a safety device which will now be described, for automatically locking the dip-head in its upper position when the mold is prevented from closing.

The dip frame includes a vertical slide member 40 mounted to move up and down on vertical guide rails 4| on the mold carriage. A tie bracket 42 extending horizontally between and secured to the guide rails 4|, carries a locking bolt 43 slidably mounted therein for movement into and out of a recess 44 formed in the plate 40. The

locking bolt is actuated by a lever 45 pivoted at 46 to the bracket 42. A coil spring 4'l operates through the lever 45 to normally hold the'locking bolt in its retracted position (Fig. 2) permitting the normal lowering of the dip-head. A dog 48 pivoted at 49 to the upper slide 26 is normally held out of the path of the lever 45 as shown in full lines in Fig. 6, by a shoulder 50 on the dog engaging the lower slide 21. When the latch 36 is released, as heretofore described, and the upper slide 26 moves forward, the dog 48 is left free to be swung about its pivot by a spring 5| to the dotted line position (Fig. 6) behind the lever 45 so that as the slide 26 continues its forward movement, the dog 43 strikes the lever 45 and swings it about its pivot against the compression of the spring 41, thereby sliding the locking bolt into the notch 44. This looks the dip frame in its lifted position, preventing the mold from being lowered into dip. The dog 48 remains in position to prevent the locking bolt from being retracted until the mold has been carried beyond the gathering zone and reached the point in its travel at which it is normally opened by the inward movement of the slide 26. Such movement of the slide causes a resetting of the latch 36 and the dog 48 which will permit normal closing and dipping of the mold if the obstruction has been removed. If the obstruction remains, the safety devices will continue to operate as described.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. A machine for forming glass articles comprising in combination a mold carriage, a mold mounted to travel therewith in a closed path, means for moving the mold relative to the carriage, to a charge-receiving position at a predetermined point during its travel with the carriage, said mold comprising separable sections, means for moving said sections together for closing the mold and holding it closed While remeans for moving the mold relative to the car'- riage, to a charge-receiving position at a predetermined point during its travel with the carriage, said mold comprising separable sections, means for moving said sections together for closing the mold and holding it closed While receiving its charge, a safety device by which operating connection between the mold closing means and the mold is broken and whereby the mold is permitted to remain open when a normal closing movement thereof is obstructed, and a second safety device controlled by said first mentioned safety device and by which the said movement of the mold to a charge-receiving position is prevented when said closing of the mold is prevented.

3. In a machine for forming glass articles the combination of a rotating mold carriage, a suction gathering mold thereon comprising partible sections, means for automatically lowering the mold for receiving its charge, means for closing the mold and holding it closed while it is lowered to charge-receiving position, a safety device by which the mold closing means is permitted to operate independently of the mold in the event of an obstruction to the closing movement of the mold, and a second safety device by which lowering of the mold is prevented while the mold remains open.

4. A machine of the suction gathering type for forming glass articles, comprising a mold carriage rotatable about a. vertical axis, a dip-head movable up and down thereon, a mold carried by the dip-head, means for periodically lowering the dip-head to bring the mold to a chargegathering position during the rotation of the carriage, means for closing the mold and holding it closed during the down and up movements of the dip-head and mold, and safety mechanism for automatically locking the dip-head against lowering movement upon failure of the mold to close, said mechanism comprising a locking bolt, a dog, means actuated by the dog for projecting the bolt to a locking position, means for normally holding said bolt-projecting means against operation, and means to actuate said dog and thereby cause the locking bolt to be projected to looking position upon failure of the mold to close.

5. A machine for forming glass articles comprising a mold carriage rotatable horizontally, a dip-head movable up and down thereon, a partible mold carried on the dip-head, a stationary cam, means actuated by the cam for closing the mold, means for controlling the up and down movements of the dip-head and effecting a lowering of the dip-head and mold while the latter is closed, a safety device comprising means for releasing the mold from the control of said cam, said releasing means actuated by abnormal resistance to the closing of the mold, and a second safety device operable to lock the dip-head and prevent lowering of the mold While the latter remains open, said second safety device being controlled by and dependent for its operation upon the operation of the first mentioned safety device.

6. The combination with a rotating mold carriage, a dip-head mounted to travel therewith and movable up and down thereon, a mold carried by the dip-head, and means for opening and closing the mold, of a safety device operable to render the mold closing means ineffective and thereby prevent closing of the mold and a second safety device brought into activity by the operation of the first mentioned safety device and operable to prevent lowering of the dip-head and mold, and automatic means to actuate said safety devices when abnormal resistance is offered to closing movement of the mold.

7. The combination with a rotating mold carriage, a dip-head mounted to travel therewith and movable up and down thereon, a mold carried by the dip-head, and means for opening and closing the mold, of a safety device operable to render the mold closing means ineffective and thereby prevent closing of the mold and a second safety device operable toprevent lowering of the dip-head and mold, automatic means to actuate said safety devices when abnormal resistance is offered to closing movement of the mold, and mechanism interconnecting said safety devices by which operation of one effects the operation of the other.

8. A machine of the character described comprising a mold carriage, a dip-head thereon, a mold on the dip-head, means for closing and opening the mold, a locking bolt carried by the dip-head, a spring-actuated lever for moving the locking bolt into and out of locking engagement with the carriage, the spring normally holding said lever and locking bolt in released position, a dog, and automatic means operable upon failure of the mold closing means to operate to move the dog into the path of said lever for operating said lever and locking bolt.

9. A machine of the suction gathering type for forming glass articles, comprising a mold carriage rotatable about a vertical axis, a dip-head movable up and down thereon, a mold carried by the dip-head, means for periodically lowering the dip-head to bring the mold to a chargegathering position during the rotation of the carriage, means for closing the mold and holding it closed during the up and down movements of the dip-head and mold, a locking bolt movable into an operative position to prevent lowering of the mold, means for normally holding the locking bolt continuously in an inoperative position, and means automatically operable to move said bolt to operative position upon failure of the mold to close and thereby prevent lowering of the mold while open. w

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination of relatively movable elements, a locking bolt mounted on one of said elements, a lever operatively connected to the locking bolt, means for operating the lever and thereby moving the bolt into locking engagement with the other said element, said means including a holding dog by which said lever and locking bolt are held in operative position, automatic means for actuating the holding dog and releasing said lever, and a spring for moving the lever and locking bolt to inoperative position.

JOSEPH P. BENOIT. LUTHER H. WIDEMAN. CLARENCE C. KINKER. 

